NORWALK – Norwalk-La Mirada school board members voted unanimously Monday to keep Dulles and Huerta elementary schools open, two weeks after receiving a report saying their closure should be considered.

The vote came before about 250 parents who crowded into the board room, some standing behind administrators.

District administrators told the board that closing the two schools wouldn’t save money, but would cost the district as much as $673,000 during the 2006-07 school year.

Much of the additional cost would come from having to pay for portable classrooms that would be needed while modernization work was being completed, said Maureen Saul, assistant superintendent of business services.

“It erodes the savings from closing schools,” Saul said.

District officials proposed closing Dulles in La Mirada and Huerta in Norwalk because of declining enrollment that is costing the district money.

From 2003-04 to the present school year, the district has lost 920 students. At $5,000 per student in funding provided by the state, that translates into a loss of $4.6 million in revenue.

Dulles has 386 students and Huerta has 360 students.

The board didn’t rule out closing schools in the future, voting to establish a committee, which would include parents, to look at the effects of declining enrollment and possible solutions.

However, board member Ed Hengler said he wouldn’t vote for closing schools even in the future, saying budget cuts could come from other areas.

“We need to keep our neighborhood schools,” Hengler said.

Parents said they were thrilled by Monday’s vote.

“I can go home and tell my two kids school is open,” said Selma Castaneda, a Dulles parent.

Parents from both schools had held rallies on Friday and were out in force at Monday’s meeting.

The Dulles parents set up a Web site, www.savedulles.com.

Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farm Workers, after whom Huerta Elementary School was named, was present Monday.

Huerta praised the board’s decision, saying that small schools are needed.

“Here you have the perfect model of community schools,” she said. “You’ve got to find the money to keep schools open.”

Mike Sprague started at the Whittier Daily News in April 1984. Since then, Sprague has covered every city in the Whittier Daily News circulation area, as well as political and water issues. Sprague received a bachelor's degree in communications and a master's degree in political science, both from Cal State Fullerton.